The Java Language Specification, Third Edition

6.3.1 Shadowing Declarations NAMES
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A single-static-import declaration d in a compilation unit c of package p that
imports a field named n shadows the declaration of any static field named n
imported by a static-import-on-demand declaration in c, throughout c.
A single-static-import declaration d in a compilation unit c of package p that
imports a method named n with signature s shadows the declaration of any static
method named n with signature s imported by a static-import-on-demand declaration
in c, throughout c.
A single-static-import declaration d in a compilation unit c of package p that
imports a type named n shadows the declarations of:
• any static type named n imported by a static-import-on-demand declaration in
c.
• any top level type (§7.6) named n declared in another compilation unit (§7.3)
of p.
• any type named n imported by a type-import-on-demand declaration (§7.5.2)
in c.
throughout c.
A type-import-on-demand declaration never causes any other declaration to
be shadowed.
A static-import-on-demand declaration never causes any other declaration to
be shadowed.
A declaration d is said to be visible at point p in a program if the scope of d
includes p, and d is not shadowed by any other declaration at p. When the program
point we are discussing is clear from context, we will often simply say that a
declaration is visible.
Note that shadowing is distinct from hiding (§8.3, §8.4.8.2, §8.5, §9.3, §9.5).
Hiding, in the technical sense defined in this specification, applies only to members
which would otherwise be inherited but are not because of a declaration in a
subclass. Shadowing is also distinct from obscuring (§6.3.2).
Here is an example of shadowing of a field declaration by a local variable declaration:
class Test {
static int x = 1;
public static void main(String[] args) {
int x = 0;
System.out.print("x=" + x);
System.out.println(", Test.x=" + Test.x);
}
}
produces the output:
DRAFT